Treatment of fibrous textile materials

ABSTRACT

APPARATUS FOR TREATING FIBROUS TEXTILE MATERIALS WITH A FLUID WHEREIN A SHEET OF THE FIBROUS TEXTILE MATERIAL IS SUBJECTED TO SUCCESSIVE AND PROGRESSIVE DRAWING ACTIONS WHILST BEING TREATED WITH THE FLUID.

United States Patent lnventor Jacques Thibeau Croix, France Appl. No.687,659 Filed Dec. 4, 1967 Patented June 28, 1971 Assignee Societeanonyme dite: A Thibeau & Cie Priority Dec. 15, 1966, Oct. 25, 1967France 87552 and 125765 TREATMENT OF FIBROUS TEXTILE MATERIALS 4 Claims,1 Drawing Fig.

8/137 lnt.Cl ..1 D01b 3/10 Field of Search 19/66;

[56] I References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,672,527 6/1928 Heintze19/66 3,365,752 1/1968 Farell 19/66 FOREIGN PATENTS 9,495 1884 GreatBritain 68/158 Primary ExaminerDorsey Newton Attorney-Waters, Roditi,Schwartz, and Nissen ABSTRACT: Apparatus for treating fibrous textilematerials with a fluid wherein a sheet of the fibrous textile materialis subjected to successive and progressive drawing actions whilst beingtreated with the fluid.

TREATMENT OF FIBROUS TEXTILE MATERIALS The invention relates to anapparatus for treating a mass of random animal raw textile fibers,mainly wool fibers, for the purpose of ensuring its soaking, cleaning,rinsing, and drying if need be.

A treating apparatus according to the invention comprises a vat whichcontains a treating liquid and a plurality of transfer members such asrotating cylinders or endless belts provided with holding elements suchas points, hooks or roughened regions, arranged in such a manner thatthe holding elements of the various transfer members penetrate into eachother in contact zones in'the vat which are immersed within the liquid,the orientations of the said holding elements, the directions ofmovement of the transfer members and their respective linear speedsbeing such that the mass of fibers conveyed to the first transfer memberis taken up successively by the others and each time is subjected to acertain drawing action.

The invention will next be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawing, the sole figure of which diagrammatically shows, in a nonrestrictive sense, an elevation view of one embodiment of an apparatusfor treating a mass of animal textile fibers in accordance with theinvention.

The apparatus for the treatment of a sheet of mass of random animal rawtextile fibers, mainly wool fibers comprises a vat 1 containing a bathof treatment liquid 2, in which are mounted a certain number (five inthe example) of transfer members constituted of rotating cylinders 51,52, 53, 54, 55 provided with points 61, 62, 63, 64 and 65 respectively.The said cylinders are arranged in such a way that the points of each ofthem penetrate into the gaps between the points of the followingcylinder. Moreover, each cylinder rotates in a direction opposite'thedirection of rotation of the preceding cylinder, at a peripheral speedwhich is slightly higher than the peripheral speed of the precedingcylinder. On each cylinder the points are inclined forwards, in thedirection of their movement, so as to be able to hook well into thematerial; moreover, they are shorter than those of the precedingcylinder and there are more of them.

The transfer cylinders are mounted in the vat l in such a way that theirzone of contact is immersed in the bath of liquid 2. It is accordinglyquite in order to arrange the first cylinder 51 above the secondcylinder 52 and the last cylinder 55 above the next to last cylinder 54;the intermediate cylinder 53 can be located either at the same level asthe two other lower cylinders 52 and 54, or at different levels, ifdesired. Moreover, instead of a single intermediate cylinder 53 agreater number can be employed, provided the said number is odd.

The mass of fibers 17 to be treated is conveyed to the first rotatingcylinder 51 by any suitable feed means, such as for instance an endlessbelt 18 of any suitable type.

In the arrangement shown, the end downstream of the endless belt 18,which is located in the immediate vicinity of the entry cylinder 51, issurmounted by another holding cylinder 19 provided with points 21 whichare rearwardly inclined, in such a way that the material engaged by thefirst cylinder 51 is already subjected to a first drawing effect byreason of the fact that it is to a certain extent held between thecylinder 19 and the belt 18.

The relative speeds of the various cylinders are such that in passingfrom one cylinder to the next the mass of fibers is subjected to adrawing at a rate of, for instance approximately 1.2 to 1.5.

An endless detaching belt 67 is arranged on the discharge cylinder 55,said belt passing also over a drum 68 in such a way that the upperstrand of the said belt is preferably substantially horizontal.

The end downstream of the endless belt 67 overhangs an endless removalbelt 58 which guides the treated material between two calenderingcylinders 28, 29, from where it is taken by another endless belt 32.

The operation of the device is as follows: the mass of fibers l7,conveyed b the belt 18 to the first cylinder 51, is subjected to a firstrawing between the cylinders 19 and 51, then it passes successively overthe other cylinders 52, 53, 54, 55 with the result that it isprogressively drafted, opened, homogenized and the fibers are orientatedparallel to each other, while at the same time it is immersed under verygood conditions in the treatment liquid 1. The thus treated sheet isdetached from the first cylinder 55 by thebelt 67 and it falls onto thebelt 58, passes between the calendering cylinders 28, 29 and is finallyremoved on the last belt 32.

lt should be understood that the invention is not restricted to theembodiment described and illustrated, and that modifications can be madetherein without thereby going beyond the scope of the invention.

1 claim:

1. An apparatus for treating a mass of random animal raw textile fiberssaid apparatus comprising a vat which contains a treating liquid and aplurality of successive rotatable cylinders including fibre holdingelements thereon immersed in the liquid and arranged such that theholding elements of the cylinders interpenetrate each other in contactzones in the vat within the liquid, and means for rotating each cylinderin a direction opposite to that of the preceding one and at a slightlyhigher speed, the holding elements of all the cylinders projectingtherefrom and being inclined forwardly with respect to their directionof movement, such that the mass of fibers conveyed to the first cylinderis successively taken up by the others and each time is subjected to adrawing action.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the length of the holdingelements of each cylinder is less than that of the holding elements ofthe preceding cylinder.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the number of holdingelements of each cylinder is at least equal to that of the holdingelements of the preceding cylinder.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first rotatablecylinder is disposed vertically above the second cylinder and the lastcylinder is disposed vertically above the next to last cylinder, thecylinders between the first and last being horizontally disposed in thevat and immersed in the treating liquid, the fiber mass traveling inserpentine fashion over one cylinder and below the next.

